


Some Kinda Family

by Cornbread5287



Series: This Life We Live [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombies, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 07:31:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4657932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornbread5287/pseuds/Cornbread5287
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl Dixon got close to Rick Grimes after his brother's death. Rick is his closest friend- he knows everything about Daryl. Well, almost everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Some Kinda Family

Daryl sat on his front porch steps, a cigarette perched between his lips, trying to understand how he’d gotten himself into this mess.

He wanted to blame it on Carl, he really did. The little shit just lit up when he asked Daryl to go to the county fair, of all places, and Daryl just couldn’t deny the boy. But it didn’t start there, not really. No, he supposed it started the night his brother had died.

Merle had gotten drunk one night several months ago and got into a fight in a bar. Merle pulled a knife, the other guy pulled a gun. Officer Rick Grimes had responded to a shooting resulting in a death in a rough bar on the outskirts of a small town outside Atlanta, only to have to shoot and kill the gunman.

Rick was the one that told him Merle had been killed. Rick was also the one that came back, a few hours after all the drama had died down, just to check on Daryl. Daryl had scoffed at him and ran the cop off his porch that night, but the two had ended up bonding because Rick refused to let it go that easily and kept coming back. Eventually, Daryl had let him in (in more ways than one). Rick and his children were the only things close to family Daryl had left.

Daryl knew everything about Rick. He knew simple things, like his birthday and his favorite color. He knew big things, like how his wife had cheated on him with his best friend and died during labor with a child that might not be biologically Rick’s. He knew that Rick’s now ex- best friend, Shane, had moved to Fort Benning somewhat in shame after a fight with Rick that resulted in a broken nose for him and a broken jaw for Rick. He knew everything.

Rick knew a lot about him, too, more than anyone else had ever known about him, including Merle. But he didn’t know everything.

Daryl stood up and dropped his cigarette on the walkway in front of the steps, grinding it with the toe of his boot as Rick’s car came into view. He snorted as the old Expedition struggled to make it up his rough gravel driveway.

“Why do you gotta live so far out?” Rick drawled through the open window when he finally made it.

“So people like you don’t come a huntin’ for me,” he grumbled as he got into the passenger seat. Rick just laughed as he turned around and drove towards the fairgrounds.

“You’ll love it, Daryl,” Carl said excitedly from the back seat. “Last year my friend puked on the Zipper!”

“Sounds amazin’” Daryl grumbled sarcastically as Rick suppressed a laugh.

For most of the night, Daryl got stuck playing babysitter for Judith while Rick and Carl rode every ride twice. Carl rode a few with Judith, as did Rick. Daryl found himself smiling like an idiot when he and Carl stood by the gate of a particularly hilarious kid ride, watching Rick and Judith strapped into seats atop a cartoon version of a dinosaur. Daryl couldn’t hide his grin as Rick spun in circles, too big for the seat, looking ridiculously happy as Judith squealed beside him.

“Carl,” Rick said when they got off the ride, “take Judith and let her play some of the games so we can head home. You can play some, too, but take her by the kid’s ones, okay?” Carl’s eyes lit up when Rick handed him a fifty. He took off with a barely-walking Judith in tow.

“I saw you laughin’ at me,” Rick nudged Daryl’s arm.

“Should’a seen your face. You’d’ve laughed too,” he allowed himself a small smile.

“I’d say so,” Rick chuckled back. “So you’ve really never been to the county fair?”

Daryl snorted.

“Guess not,” Rick grinned. “Well, you gotta ride at least one iconic fair ride before we go.”

“I ain’t goin’ near them spinnin’ horses,” Daryl snarled, and Rick started laughing.

“No, you ain’t,” he agreed. He led Daryl over to a short line of people in front of-

_Oh. Shit._

__“__ The Ferris Wheel? Seriously?” Daryl choked out, feeling himself blushing.

“Yeah, why not?” Rick smiled as the line started moving. Daryl looked up at the giant wheel and was nearly blinded by the flashing lights. Daryl grumbled but said nothing else as they climbed into their seat.

They rose slowly upward, stopping now and again as other people climbed into their seats. Once it started going for real, Daryl moved closer to Rick almost instinctively. Rick was one of the only people he didn’t mind getting close to.

“You okay?” Rick asked gently.

“Yeah. Just…” Daryl glanced around nervously.

“You’re afraid of heights?” Rick asked, surprised.

“Ain’t scared. Just don’t like ‘em” he grumbled back, embarrassed.

“Hey,” Rick waited until Daryl looked at him before speaking again. “Just focus on me, take your mind off it. Ya could’ve told me, Daryl.”

“I wanted to come up here with you, though,” Daryl said, and he froze, knowing he’d said too much. _Stupid_ , He chastised himself as he tried to scoot away, but Rick caught his arm and looked him in the eye.

“Why?”

_Because you’re wearing that red plaid shirt and those black jeans and your curls are perfect and you smell nice and you were so happy riding with Judith earlier and I wanted to be the reason you smiled like that and I know I can’t be because you’re perfect and I didn’t even comb my hair today and my jeans are ripped and my shirt has no sleeves and I think I love you._

And suddenly, it was all too much for Daryl Dixon.

He slammed his mouth into Rick’s, closing his eyes and bracing himself for the rejection he knew must come next. To his surprise, Rick only hesitated a moment before parting his soft, full lips and letting Daryl in.

Daryl kissed Rick with everything he had, and it was like a dam breaking in his chest. His tongue slid over Rick’s, his eyes shut so tightly they almost hurt. Rick grabbed a fistful of Daryl’s shirt and pulled him impossibly close, deepening the kiss.

Rick broke the kiss when the ride slowed and started letting people off. Daryl hadn’t even noticed he’d had his fingers in Rick’s hair until the man gently pushed his hand away and smoothed the curls back into place. When it was their turn to get off, Daryl nearly ran from the ride, planning to get lost in the crown, but Rick was having none of that.

“Don’t you dare,” he said sternly in Daryl’s ear as he grabbed Daryl’s arm. He led Daryl behind a ride where they would have a little privacy and faced him.

“If you’re gonna hit me or somethin’ just go ahead,” Daryl said dejectedly, staring at the ground. He knew he’d never hurt Rick, even in self-defense.

“You know better than that,” Rick said, surprisingly gentle. He stepped closer to Daryl, willing him to look up. Daryl eventually did.

“Daryl, why do you think I picked the Ferris wheel, of all the rides here?” He smiled when Daryl shrugged. “Daryl, it’s supposed to be a _romantic_ ride.”

  
Daryl took a step back, putting a little space between him and Rick so he could think. Rick leaned forward a bit, but let him have his space. His head was a mess of jumbled thoughts and feelings and Rick seemed to know he needed to work through them.

_Okay so he was being romantic. But he’s straight! He’s got two freaking kids and he was married. To a woman. But you kissed him and he doesn’t seem mad… he’s just looking at you. He’s smiling… well, he’s smirking. Bastard. Bastard that tastes good. Wait, no, stop thinking about that…or don’t…_

  
Rick was smiling for real now, no doubt because of the blush creeping up Daryl’s neck. He stepped closer again, and Daryl didn’t move away.  
“’Bout time you figured it out. I’ve been tryin’ to flirt with you for over a month.”

“I thought you liked women,” Daryl blurted out, and he visibly cringed at how dumb it sounded.

“Like both, technically. Right now, I just like you.” Rick leaned in and before Daryl had time to think, they were kissing again. Rick was biting his lip and his heart was pounding and he couldn’t breathe.

It was the best thing he’d ever felt in his entire life.

Rick broke off the kiss again, and somewhere through his cloud of euphoria Daryl heard an odd ringing that turned out to be Rick’s phone. He flipped it open ( _Uses a damn flip-phone,_ Daryl thought idly) and started talking.

“You already blew fifty bucks? Uh-huh. Did she? Alright, well, me and Daryl will meet you by the car. You remember where it’s parked? Okay. See ya there,” Rick sighed as he hung up.

“Reckon it’s time to get goin’” he looked at Daryl. “Listen, Daryl, if this ain’t what you want… if you… shit. Look, if you want there to be a… a me and you…” Daryl fidgeted and glanced around before looking Rick in the eye.

“I think that’s what I want. A me and you,” He said, biting his lip, and _shit, he can tell I’m nervous, stop acting like a preteen girl, Dixon._

Rick just smiled and slapped Daryl on the back. Together, they walked back to the car.

Daryl looked from the man beside him smiling almost sheepishly and looking at the ground, to the teenager holding a giant stuffed panda in the air over a toddler sitting on the ground ruining her pants, and smiled. _Well, shit, Dixon. You finally have some kinda family._

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I have ever written a fanfiction, ever. Feel free to leave constructive criticism, but please don't be rude about it. Hope you enjoyed! Leave me some comments!


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